There were no lakeside picnics for the citizens of Falciano del Massico, Caserta [Campania] on the 1st May holiday this year for their lake, which is part of a nature reserve, has been closed off since last Monday following the sighting of an unusual animal by a passer-by.
The man is sure that he saw a crocodile by the lakeside and says he knows a crocodile when he sees one as he used to work in a circus where he looked after the reptiles.
Whatever the creature is, it has a voracious appetite, for the remains of a two-kilo fish which had been torn to pieces were found in the lake last week. Footprints near the spot where the man saw the creature are being investigated.
ANSA reports that, if the creature is a crocodile, it could have been abandoned at the lake by a travelling circus but a more sinister theory is that it could have belonged to a member of a criminal gang. Ownership of such animals is regarded as a status symbol in organised crime circles in Italy.
All boating, bathing and fishing activities on the lake have been suspended while the Corpo Forestale and police continue to investigate.
Asked if he was ready to turn the town into a Loch Ness-style tourist attraction, Mayor Cesare Fava said that the area wants to attract tourists, but for other reasons.
Have you ever seen a crocodile?
Do you believe in “Nessie”?
